28th Round Air Devil

After completing my Northern Continent tour and obtaining Mollanrod, the dummies and I moved towards the Central Continent, the starting point.

Naturally, our target was its Holy Sword.

I could’ve gotten it from the very beginning, but I didn’t want to keep it nearby since I had a personal vendetta against that particular weapon.

It was that useless.

(Overcome all trials to move forward, Hero!)

As we approached the Tomb of the Ancient Hero’s entrance, the place where Automania was sealed, a voice called out to challenge me.

Trials.

I, as its examinee, had to face all kinds of traps.

This dungeon’s difficulty was low since it wasn’t too far from the summoning point, but it was too long and confusing for most students to become familiar with all of its traps.

“I would like to quickly break through this dungeon.”

Favor of God.

Just as the results of one’s interview depended on the interviewer, God was the one who made decisions based on his evaluations of his apostles.

For example, if I, as a god, liked a certain person, I could easily upgrade their skills to ZZZ.

And if their spine was bad, I could enforce that they didn’t deserve any skills above MAX rank.

Something like that.

If I were an ordinary apostle, I would praise God all day so he’d lend me at least a little of his power.

But I was different.

Mollan’s Teachings, the religion of the Great Child…

As Fantasy’s “God,” “I” could convey “the power of God” to believers.

‘Almighty self, lend me, your favorite, your strength!’

‘Hmm, Alright. Request approved. Receive all my love!’

Original Sin

Bam! Babakh!

With God’s favor, this beginner-level dungeon was nothing.

⤷ Odin: In case anyone’s forgotten, we’re watching a Hero that’s only eight months old…

⤷ Zeus: Isn’t this too much? Why is adventure necessary then? We should just lock ourselves up in a temple and pray.

⤷ Shiva: Instead of complaining, why not just learn from this and act on it? Do you think what he’s doing is easy?

⤷ Isis: You can try to get the Religious Leader profession, but becoming an Apostle will definitely not be easy. I’m not even sure I can preach as well as he does…

⤷ Luna: Only eight months… What have I been doing all this time?

⤷ Luke: Don’t push yourself, senior…

Reaching the deepest part of the dungeon by destroying all the traps in my path, I politely kicked the gate blocking my way.

BOOM!

This place’s final boss immediately revealed itself.

(… You got here too fast, Hero of the new generation.)

The skeleton in pajamas hastily put on armor.

I understood his situation, though.

If one were to sit on their throne all day like my father-in-law, they could get a hernia. That was why taking a break every now and then was important.

That was what the Ancient Hero did.

He lay in his coffin, wearing comfortable clothes, and armed himself only when an intruder entered his tomb.

“Were you not expecting me?”

Bam!

I hit the boss’s head as he tried to pick up Automania, which was lying on the floor.

(Sneaky… Hero…)

What did he just say?

On the battlefield, one shouldn’t care about their enemy’s circumstances.

The outcome of our battle wouldn’t change even if he managed to pick up his Holy Sword anyway, though the process would be a little more annoying.

Automatic attack, defense, and evasion…

He was a pitiful rabble with high stats. However, with such a weapon in his hands, he could’ve turned into a first-class swordsman.

“I finally got them all.”

It took me quite some time to become an Apostle, but during these eight months, I collected all the Holy Swords that existed in the world of Fantasy.

Central Continent’s Automania: Automatic Combat.

Eastern Continent’s Haymollan: Skill Effects Enhancer.

Western Continent’s Mollanpis: Equipment Devourer.

Southern Continent’s Mollancoin: Resizable Armament.

Northern Continent’s Mollanrod: Soul-Infused Ego Sword.

Kang Han Soo’s Nucleon: Demon Lord Slayer.

A Hero could only use one Holy Sword.

Even I couldn’t break that rule.

But there was a solution.

Of course, there was no information about it in the mollanphone community since no one had collected the 6 Holy Swords yet.

“Mollanpis. Consume the Holy Swords.”

Fss! Fss! Fss! Fss! Fss!

Naturally, one shouldn’t expect each Holy Sword to have the same power as Nuclon since their essences were divided to accommodate several dimensions.

However, six of them would obviously be stronger than one.

As expected, the outcome was impressive.

SKRRRR!

Mollanpis’s shape changed, emitting sounds of bones crunching in the process. It now had a platinum blade and a golden six-pointed-star guard.

Complimenting its amazing design was its name graciously engraved on its blade.

Mollanstar.

Inheriting the functions of all Holy Swords and gaining a completely new ability, its power had also been completely reinvented.

‘Morality Teacher! I would like to have an explanation…’

(Mollanstar, combining Mollancoin and Haymollan’s abilities, can unleash six floating blades that can be used to fight multiple enemies at once, thanks to Automania’s automatic combat feature.)

‘Hey, Air Devil! I wasn’t talking to you!’

(… I’m not an air devil, but the Heavenly Demon.)

‘I don’t care!’

(…)

It reminded me of a Gundam attacking with its wings.

(It’s a blade manipulation technique.)

‘Stop constantly trying to change Fantasy’s genre to martial arts. It doesn’t change my point.’

Holy Sword Mollanstar was quite powerful.

Automania bothered me since it used to control my body alone, but it now manipulated six blades into fighting my opponents instead.

I could control them myself, but it would just be a waste of extra energy. Hence, I let the Air Devil, whose soul was in my new weapon, control them instead.

He introduced himself as a social outcast from Murim, so I was skeptical, but his swordsmanship was surprisingly good.

(But I introduced myself as the lord of Murim…)

“Air Devil!”

Fshuk! Fshuk! Fshuk!

When I called his name, the blades shot up and annihilated the monsters.

The scene made my heart race since it was like watching a Gundam attack.

“… When are you going to go to the Demon Lord’s Tower, Hero?” Disco asked with a displeased expression.

A year hadn’t even passed yet, but she already seemed completely tired of my adventures.

“This Holy Sword will be useless if my juniors can’t use it properly. They should practice in dungeons using my strategy.” I answered.

⤷ Odin: 1. Enter the dungeon. 2. Shout out the soul’s name. 3. Be careful not to get lost. 4. Leave the looting to Green Cake. 5. Exit the dungeon.

⤷ Zeus: It’s easy, right?

⤷ Baal: This is too difficult. I can’t keep up with you…

⤷ Shiva: I’ve also started collecting the Holy Swords today. I’ll soon publish a photo with Mollanstar.

⤷ Isis: Can I do this by believing in the Great Child?

⤷ M. Satan: I received an official answer saying that the Great Child religion would work too.

I decided to wait for the exemplary students who imitated the Righteous G-Class Hero’s adventure.

Moreover, I also had to wait for Kang Han Soo to return.

Holy Demon Blade Swordmaster, one of the Three Great Swords, originally belonged to Alex.

There were two swords left.

The Elemental Endymion Sword was in the Elf Empire’s treasury, and the Celestial Runelord Sword rested amid endless waters.

(Do you know the location of the Celestial Runelord Sword, junior?!)

Well, in my first round, it was in the Death Maelstrom, which blocked marine transportation between the Eastern and Western Continents.

(I want you to go there. I need to check something. Please.)

‘Nope.’

(Isn’t it too cruel to refuse me, the Lord of Murim who’s given up his pride, so harshly? Are you a demon?)

I wasn’t just any demon. I was the Demon Lord.

‘Tell me what you need there first, then I’ll think about it.’

(Well…)

‘If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.’

(My daughter might be there, who was born when I was still a Hero.)

‘Heroes’ children are involved again! Fine! Let’s go!’

I wasn’t going there because I thought it was going to be fun.

This was for the Air Devil.

The Righteous G-Class Hero and his dummies set out for endless waters!

*****

Death Maelstrom.

Before the 4th training program, there was a settlement known as the “Ship Graveyard” here, but that changed in the 5th training program.

After all, as the First Apostle, I dropped Captain Fantasy there.

So I was curious to see what this place looked like now.

In the middle of the whirlpool, we found an artificial island, and on its shore was a woman in the middle of fishing.

“There she is.”

A blue eel was coiled around her naked body, covering only her most intimate areas.

“Shi-i-i-i~” Noticing us, it put its head on her shoulder and shrieked.

Strongest of the five Guardians who stood against the Five Great Disasters while maintaining balance in the world, she wielded the Celestial Runelord Sword, which gave its user tremendous “inner strength.”

Her stats seemed to have changed a bit, too.

▷ Race: Half-Human

▷ Level: 9999

▷ Job: Martial Arts Master (Martial Arts = Excellence ↑)

▷ Skills: Faith GG, Martial Arts G, Fencing G, Inner Strength G, Charm ZZZ…

▷ Status: Magic Sword

She had Faith, which wasn’t in my first round. It was ranked GG, no less!

What religion was she so obsessed with?

(Her outfit is a little extravagant, but there’s no doubt she’s my daughter.)

‘Who’s her mother?’

(Archaeologist Lanuvel.)

‘… Lanuvel?’

(Yes. The union between her and me, known as the strongest adventurer until I lost to the Demon Lord Pedonar, was ordained by the heavens! If you desire her, junior, you have my permission to date my daughter.)

‘Do I look like a madman to you?’

(I know perfectly well that you’re not interested in women. However, having absorbed all of the Lord of Murim’s teachings and growing up as beautiful as her mother, she’s different from the rest. That’s why I entrusted her with my sword, which came from my homeland, without any hesitation.)

‘That’s just your opinion.’

All of that was meaningless since she carried Lanuvel’s genes.

(I admit Lanuvel can be a little clumsy, but prejudice is wrong, junior.)

‘Well, since we’re here, you can talk to her.’

(Her name is Seoyeon Gal.)

I didn’t ask.

“Hey, Guardian, at least have the common courtesy to face your guests…”

“Go away. There’s no place here for a pathetic Hero… Whoa?!”

Bang!

I kicked her tailbone, causing her to fly into the whirlpool.

(Seoyeon?!)

“Oops! I must’ve slipped because of this island’s high humidity. Mollan.”